If you are considering a tattoo, have you thought about your future interests

my tattoos are all very personal to me. they have very strong meaning to me. the decision to become tattooed is not something that should be taken lightly. it is something that will be with you forever. it should be a design that means something to you rather than something that is there for decoration purposes.

Good question - even though you're not into tattoos yourself, you're asking out of curiosity & an interest in the u will get, rather than just to knock people with tattoos. Thanks for that.

My own tattoos r all things which wo not date or lose their appeal in the same way as the example u cite. You're right, some people do get these kinds of tattoos, of things that r currently popular. I can not answer for them or their long-term feelings about their art. But for myself, I've always been completely aware that my tattoos would be permanent, & completely comfortable with this because I've been careful in the decisions I've made. For the most part, my tattoos represent aspects of my life or concepts I want to remind myself of, so even if my life & interests change over time, they will still be relevant.

I had my first tattoo done 11 years ago & do not regret it, or the subsequent ones I've had done, at all. Although I like the designs, the meanings that they have for me raise them above the level of something that could be affected by changing tastes. I suppose u could compare this to the place tattooing had in many cultures around the world, where it was used to mark transitions, as a rite of passage. That might sound like a rather overblown way of putting it, & it is a much more personal thing rather than a social ritual, but there is something of the same idea involved. Where a tattoo has significance in that way, it rises above 'like' & 'dislike', & becomes a part of who u are.

That is not to say that tattoos without this kind of significance r not perfectly valid - they certainly can be. Many people have beautiful tattoos just because they enjoy their art, & it makes them happy, & they do not regret them, either. But I wanted to give u my perspective, as a way to help u understand tattoos better.

Hope this makes sense!

i have tattoos & see myself continuing to get tattoos for a long time. i do not get them to be trendy or to be cool. i get them because i admire the art involved in them & the talent that some artists have. my skin is a canvas.
being 25 years old i am neither young & naive or old & wise but somewhere in the middle, however i carefully consider my tattoos before i get them. i think about the design & the placement & the role they will play in my life. i think about the way that they reflect me as a person & i'm really not worried about what they will look like in 30 years. i will be older & i expect my body to reflect that whether i had tattoos or not. i will continue to live my life just like everybody else. tattoo removal is not an option i would ever consider. i embrace my tattoos, even if i change they will be a reminder of who i was once upon a time.

I have always been fascinated with dragons, & decided when I was 15 to get a tattoo. I waited until I was 30 to get my first because I wanted to be sure that I really did want it, that I had the exact picture I wanted, & that I had a good artist doing the work. I now have two dragon tattoos, & love them both. I have a Celtic design on my shoulder with three interlocking rings. To me they represent the three aspects of God, Father, Son & Holy Spirit. I got that one when I became a Christian.

All three of my tattoos r in places that I can wear long pants & a polo shirt to cover them up. That way, if I am in a formal situation, I wo not embarrass or annoy other people.

I have 5. They represent different stages of my Army career. I did not go & get them in some foreign land on a drunken whim either. One represents the personal & ultimate sacrifice of people I know. When I am 50, I do not think 18 year old hotties r going to jump on my bone anyway, no matter how special or great a Soldier I used to be. Seriously, everything is gonna look like hell at that age right? I might gag or at least find it humorous if I saw some 55 year old Prom Queen has been try & fit into the same dress again, complete with leggings & sh!t. An old guy with saggy skin in an Armani suit is still just an old guy with saggy skin to younger folks. If the old guy is still trying to be the guy with the freshest look on the block, that just screams out midlife crisis ''I wanna be young again oh look at me!'' I ai not done with my body yet either. Still trying to draw up a unique cultural design based on my ancestors way of tattooing, & have it NOT look like some random pseudo Island design piece of fake crap that some folks around my city have. Make it insanely personal, really well done, extremely thought out, & there should not be regrets. Most regrets r from tattoos that r not really deep in any way, gotten based on a trend, or tattooed by a buddy of a buddy, jailhouse style. Why have a meaningless or crappy looking thing as a permanent mark? Make it great, make it artistic, make it meaningful is what I always think. Unless you've laid out barbed wire as ur career, what the hell does the barbed wire band mean anyway? That is just a future cover up job, like tribal arm bands. ''See what I am saying?''

As a plus, they're conversation starters for me now so maybe in the future they will be great story telling starters.

I got mine as a way to remember my grandfather because he died when I was very young. It also represents my heritage. I did not get a neck tattoo or a wrist tattoo which seem to be the popular locations latley because I am going to school to teach kindergarden & I do not know if that would cause problems when I am trying to get a job. I would assume so. There is plenty of skin that can be hidden & if I do not want to show my tattoo when I get older then I do not have to. I plan on getting more but all in locations that can be covered up. And all of them I am still thinking about just to make sure I will love them since they will be there my whole life. Teachers can not afford lazer removal lol. I have always been very interested in tattoos. They r like permant art & very beautiful to me.

I have one for now. It is not some silly looking cartoon character or a flower or animal. It is something that reminds me of the strength my great gram always carried (she died 6 years ago). When I am fifty it will still be my body. The reasons & what people get tattooed is totally up to them. If tattoos r not for u then they r not for you. Please do not look down on people for having them, that note goes out to all avid tattoo haters. You (the asker) asked very politely & put ur thoughts clearly. Some tattoos can be costly & if u really want it u should think about it long & hard. Mine is small & simple, single tone black outline. My reasons were for in memory & to honor someone whom I still miss dearly. Hope I helped some what. Have a nice day! :)

Well..I did not get my tattoo until I was 29 & my husband & I had our daughter. My tattoo is a side portrait of her with her Chinese name (real Chinese name). If u look at my avatar, it is a picture of the tattoo. It is on my lower back on the side.where her head actually was approximately when I was pregnant. The tattoo was done to celebrate her being born & just my own personal way to celebrate her. It is in a spot that will not change if say, I get pregnant again or gain weight. I have the option of showing it or not showing it.my choice.

What motivated me to get a tattoo? Well.for starters, I have a needle phobia.it amazes me to this day that I was able to get a tattoo if u think about what it is.I did it though & i'm so happy that I did. It was designed by my mom (who has no tattoos & does not really like tattoos) & my tattoo artist who is world known for portrait tattoos.

I did a year of research on artists, equipment, procedure, studios.everything & anything u could think of. I also figured that a year of planning it out would tell me if I really wanted to get a tattoo. In that year of learning about tattoos, I really came to love the artform & it is neat to see what some artists can do! My artist is world known & considered one of the best (no it is not Miami Ink).

I am not sure if this question is a ''you were not thinking & what will u think of it when you're 50?!?'' question.but I am very proud of my tattoo & nothing is going to change that.ever.

No.I do not regret it..in 50 years.I wo not regret it. I love my tattoo & what it represents.

None of my tats r ''anime'' characters. I spent years designing & getting each of them just right. Each one has special meaning to me. Those meanings r not passing fads, more like philosophies of life. None of my ink was spur of the moment & one of the main questions I've asked my self with each one is how will I feel about this when my grandchildren r old enough to have children? (my oldest child is 7). Careful consideration was also taken for location & likelihood of it getting stretched out or faded with age (and flutuating weight). My reason & motivation for getting permanent body art is the meaning that I associate with each peice. Some represent balance, or family, or life. At what point would those be passing fads?

I would never ever get anime or characters on my body for one..
I love tattoos. If I dont like them when I am fifty, who cares? Want to know something? My tattoos dont have any special meanings or bullshi* like that either. They are just really good pieces of art. =) Doodles on the skin.

I know that a tattoo stay with u for ever & that is the good thing for a good example i got my tattoo when i turn 18yrs now I am 23yrs my first tattoo me & my best friend from elementary got r b-day is a 1 week apart from each other & we got r first tattoo together at the same place with the same artiest & that for me r memory cause we talk about it & know we add more tattoos & about the future what can i say just in joy life minute after minute & plus i have a good job & my part time job is tattooing at a shop.

Most of my art is for spiritual reasons, the rest is about my life. I am planning on getting a science/medical themed sleeve in the near future, because I work in the medical field (ambulance). My spiritual beliefs r not likely to change (at least they have not in the last..15 years or so). Tattoos r for life, & should have deep meaning to the person getting them (It doesnt matter if no one else understands what they mean) Removal is painfull, costly & leaves scars. It is something to consider before getting ink. I've also decided to go into a career where body art is acceptable (in both jobs, piercer & ambulance) & held off getting any visible (in my uniform) ink untill I am well established in my field.

While tattoos & piercings r going through a bit of a 'fad' phase right now, u will find that most people that r heavily, visibly inked r quite passionate & dedicated to the art.

Permanence is one of the beauties of tattoos I think. Most people who are old enough to get a tattoo understand their interests will change, thats why I am not getting a snowboarding tattoo, because I know I probably wo not be snowboarding on the back nine of my life. Permanent body art can be a reminder of a time in your life, of someone, or something you did that you are proud of, there is lots of reasons.

Yes I always think about my future interests when it comes to that. My philosophy is that I will ONLY get a tattoo that has meaning that will continue to have the same meaning long into old age so that I will not regret it. I also make sure they will be small & in spots where I can cover them up if need be..such as for work like I have to do now. My current one is a rose, because that is my name, & it is on my shoulderblade. My next one will be about music because that is my life.you'd have to put me in a mental institution if music ceased to exist. Another I wish to get will be footprints with names & birthdays when I have children. Last one I will probably get is one I am still giving a lot of thought to. All I know is that I want it to be a universal symbol for family to represent family members who have passed on but r still greatly missed & for those who will pass on before me in the future. I will most likely have the word ''Family'' underneath it too.

I was 30 before I got my 1st one. You're right, taste changes over the years, that is why I am glad I was that old before I got mine. I wanted something that would never change about me, so I got my star sign, Scorpio, on my right shoulder blade & last year for my b-day I got a butterfly with mystic eyes on the left one. The only time someone sees them is if I choose to show them or during the summer. I got them for me & no one else; I've wanted one since I was 4. They r stained glass for the body, & I do not have a regret for getting them.

yea, of course.
I think ( & HOPE) everyone who has ink thought about their future before getting it done.
I mean just because someone wants to get art permanently tattooed onto their body does not mean they're stupid or would not think about their future.
I am getting a gorgeous flowering magnolia tree, a pretty big one, too on my back, because this type of tree represents many many different things to me: natural beauty, the way seasons (and people.and life experiences.) come & go, trees in general r important to me in my meditation & i find that i almost automatically imagine lying under one of these beautiful trees when i know i need to calm down or start meditating.
so u see, even though i KNOW a lot of people r going to be like, ''a TREE? what is ur deal, girl?'' it is not JUST a tree to me, it means a lot more..

I feel my tattoos define me as who I was at that moment. My first is an omage to musical theatre. I am not AS crazy about it as I was in high school, but it helps me to remember & stay connected to myself. My kanji reminds me of a bad relationship & the need to not be naive. My two eyes on the back of my neck & my ankh r symbols of the history I love, & the life I live. They may not all be incredible ''current'' to my life situation now, but they all have a story, & therefore, will never be out of date. Also, I've been very careful to make sure that they were in places that would not look bad if my body ''changed.'' They all can be show easily, but covered up easily as well.

Sometimes the tattoo reminds us of where & who we were at that time. It is not that important that it is something that is an interest at that moment. It is more important to hold & to value certain times & trials in our lives. I love my tattoos & plan to get more. my star wars one reminds me of when i was a kid & saw the movie with my dad. do u think i liked the last few star wars? (vomits ever so slightly in own mouth) NO!!

Anyways, if u do not like or appreciate the art it would make more sense for u to focus ur attention elsewhere.

rat a tat tat wish i had a baseball bat

I can not talk for anyone else but i love meaningful tattoos. I like lettering tattoo is that say something that means something to that person or picture tattoo because it reminds them of something good that happened to them.

I would not get a cartoon character or a flower ect. because they mean nothing to me and i'd probably think it looks cute when i first get it done but would regret it later. If you get a meaningful tattoo you will never regret it.

i look at tattoos as milestones, or times in my life. Even if 50 years from now I look at any one of my tattoos and think why the hell did i get that.that right there is a memory in itself. It tells me ''at this time in your life, you felt like this-, loved this-, '' and so on and so on. In fact I hope my taste throughout my life changes so I can look at my tattoos and bring back memories of a different time in my life.

I have 2 tats.. I would love to have another, they are addicting.
You should really think about the meaning behind it though. My favorite 1 is my sunsign that is between my shoulder blades. I will always have the same sunsign, but as for cartoons I am not to sure about and I would think that you would regret it after awhile. Never get one of someones name though BIG mistake!!!

I've thought long & hard about the tattoo that I am getting today, & I feel comfortable with what I am getting & will have no regrets in the future. I do not plan on ever removing it, & it should age well with my body. I highly doubt my tastes will change, I've been listening to the band since they came out in 1996, so it has been over 10 years that they have been a part of my life, & their cds r always the ones I have on me in my car, or r at the top of my ipod playlist. I constantly listen to Dropkick Murphys & do not think I will ever stop. My motivation to getting this tattoo today is because they've been such an integral part of my life, & now that I have thought about getting a tattoo since I was only 8, now that I am turning 22 I feel I've thought about it forever now & deserve to have it, & the piece of art that I will carry with me for life will be a constant reminder of my childhood & my personality.

I have a star on my wrist. It is a green & black nautical star, & im getting a band of spaced out smaller stars wrapping around my wrist. In the middle of the cluster, it will say Shilynne in cursive. My best friend passed away on March 23rd this year, & this is how i chose to remember her. I want it there because I see my wrist all the time, & u would be amazed how easy it is to forget someone u loved after a few years have passed without them being mentioned. (not including dead close family, lovers, children, stuff like that, i mean friends.) I also realize that on my wrist, it is a future job complication, but I dont ever want to work for such a closed minded corporation, in fact, Im going to college this september for Culinary arts, & i plan on owning my own restaraunt one day, & I will make it a priority to not discrminate against meaningful tattoos. I do understand what u mean tho, why get a flower on ur neck or something that doesnt mean anything to you. Make it mean something, or dont make it at all.

i want a cross for my grandpa befor he dies from cancer,so ill always remember him

first of all, who gets a tattoo of an anime character? that is just stupid. my tattoos are personal, and even if for some unknown reason i do not like the colors or the placement of them when i get old, i will think back to my early 20 is when i was a strong, independent woman. tattoos should not be done just to follow a trend, they should be something personal. i prefer the traditional american style of tattoos, not 'tribal' or trendy things.

i think if a person gets a tat then it should at least mean something to them, i have 8 and they all mean something to me i have two that are cartoon characters, will i like them when im 50...yes because i love them characters as much now as before, and all my others represent, my children, grandparents they represent me as well

I have a tattoo on my lower back aka tramp stamp (but i am so not). I got a tribal tattoo with tiger skin layered on top. It was for me. It matches my personality. I do not care what other people think. And I think that if I want to show someone that part of me, I can but if I choose not to then I don't. And yes, I will still love it when I am 50.

i do it because i like it!!! i currently have 1 tat, i thought about it carefully before i did it & have no regrets!!! i luv it & am designing 2 more that i`ll have done later this year!!!

I have a classic tattoo in the middle of my back. I know its there, and if and when I turn into a baggy saggy old lady with more folds than an accordian no one will ever know about Kermit and Miss Piggy except the undertaker..